Money is the cause of most splits - survey

Britons are more than twice as likely to end a relationship because of disagreements about money as they are for any other reason, a survey suggested today.

Around 58% of single people said money had played some part in the breakdown of their last relationship, according to discount website MyVoucherCodes.co.uk.

But only 21% of people said they had broken up with a partner because of infidelity, while 17% said they had stopped loving their other half and 15% said work got in the way of their relationship.

A further 14% of those questioned said their relationship had broken down because of constant arguing, while 6% said they had simply got bored.

Among those who said money had been a key factor contributing to the end of their relationship, 32% said they and their partner disagreed about how to spend money, while 28% blamed the break down on overspending by one person.

One in five said tensions arose due to one partner lying about money, 9% said their problem was that they did not have enough money to pay bills and 8% said the issue was due to them or their partner being frivolous with money.

Other reasons included gambling, the fact that their partner did not have enough money and people not liking it if their other half earned more than they did.

Farhad Farhadi, personal finance expert at MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, said: "It was quite surprising to see that money played some part in the majority of break-ups, particularly when looking into the reasons more closely.

"Money will forever be a contentious issue amongst couples, especially when it's tight, but making sure you handle your finances correctly and openly will help limit the fall-outs that can occur."

* MyVoucherCodes questioned 1,382 single people between December 27 and January 3.